DIA News
03.2018

Materials shape the design – Innovations ’18

We completely agree with Charles Eames when it comes to classifying materials in architectural concepts: »The details are not the details. They make the design«. Because they are an essential part of the whole process, we have been taking a curious look at the latest developments. Our conclusion for 2018: The most sought-after material is natural, recycled, smart – and uniquely shaped.

Green oases in times of urbanisation

The demand for innovative natural materials is not a coincidence. As urban ways of life increase, urban society’s longing for nature grows. This is because its healing effect supports well-being and productivity. Parks provide relief in public spaces, and green oases are emerging indoors. Even the colour green or materials with a plant pattern have a positive effect. The use of large green walls improves the indoor climate, and is also an effective eye-catcher.

Recycling in the fight against environmental issues

As the earth’s resources continue to diminish, the volume of waste generated in cities is growing faster than urbanisation itself. A rethink in industry is leading to productions that use alternative resources and recycling procedures to recover raw materials. Our material library includes slabs made from rubble as well as elegant tiles made from plastic found in the sea. Many designers are creating products out of old materials by upcycling them, or are experimenting with renewable resources such as bioplastics or woven seaweed alongside the classic material wood.

New design language in the digital age

The combination of complex shapes and structures as a design feature of parametric designs has established itself as a style of modern architecture with Hadid & co. Today, we can see computer-assisted designs in all scales and many different industries: interior design, product design, fashion. Because the continuous progress in digital production technology enables the production of individualised shapes in an economically demonstrable way. 3D metal print is considered the great breakthrough in industry.

Individual and smart: Textiles in the fashion industry

The fashion industry shows what we can expect thanks to the technical progress of future textiles: intelligence and affordable uniqueness. We are curious about the use of these properties in our architectural projects. Examples: the touch-sensitive jacket by Google and Levi’s reacts thanks to conductive fibres (Source: Jacquard by Google). The company »Unmade« is developing a technology that will enable a unique jumper to be manufactured at the same price as mass uniform products, thus catering to the spirit of an individualised society (Source: Unmade).

The first touch-sensitive jacket by Google and Levi’s is considered an innovation in the area of »wearables«

Unmade determines the structure of the jumper with a touch function / Copyright: Unmade, London

The renaissance of manual work

The renaissance of manual work is considered a countermovement to digitisation: Oversaturated with mass production and standardised perfection, the fascination for old artisanal techniques and dyeing methods is on the rise. Visible seams are intentional traces of the production process. The origin and story of the material is becoming important. Indigo is considered a trend colour; hand-knotted rugs are becoming a highlight in modern interior design.